While cats are known for being stubborn and untrainable, you may be pleasantly surprised to discover that you can teach your feline buddy to sit on command. As a bonus, you’ll see a marked improvement in your cat’s behavior and strengthen your relationship with him.
Getting your cat to sit when told may seem unimaginable, but you can make it happen with time and practice. For the best and simplest advice on “how to teach a cat to sit,” check out this post from the Canvas Personalized.
What You’ll Need Before You Train a Cat to Sit?
Let’s make sure we have everything we need in our cat package before we begin our sitting training adventure by handling the following:
- A feline that is both positive and self-assured (older or infirm cats might struggle)
- Snacks that are delicious yet don’t need much chewing
- A peaceful space free of noise pollution
- A little patience when training your pet to sit
How to Teach a Cat to Sit: Step-by-step guide for Pet Parents
Luring Method
Step 1
Get your cat interested in the sitting training session by letting it smell a little piece of food or by packing a Churu tube and holding it in your hand.
Step 2
Put yourself in front of your cat, standing or sitting up (some cats may feel threatened if you lean over them). Make sure your kitten is familiar with the cat clicker training.
Step 3
Slowly move your hand above her nose and head, between the ears, and down toward the tail.
Step 4
The cat will begin to sit as its body moves to follow your hand. When her butt reaches the floor, click and treat right away.
Step 5
Just do it a couple more times using the previous instructions to gradually train a cat to sit.
Step 6
Repeat the hand movements from Step 3 without giving the reward. As the butt hits the floor, click and provide a reward with the other hand. This “how to train a cat to sit” process should be repeated many times.
Step 7
After your cat has learned to sit when you raise your hand, start saying “sit” just before it begins to sit.
Step 8
Remove the goodie and start the “how to teach your cat to sit” training session again.
Step 9
After your cat has mastered the “sit” cue, you may return to the previous steps to get him or her seated longer.
Step 10
You may reach the final level when your cat has learned to sit well. At this level, you will gradually decrease the frequency of your click and reward.
Prompting With Target Stick Method
Step 1
Place yourself in front of your cat.
Step 2
Slowly guide the targeting stick up to the tip of her nose.
Step 3
Your cat’s whole body will automatically assume the sit position as its eyes and nose go in the target’s path. As soon as the bottom reaches the ground, click and treat it.
Step 4
It is recommended that you take out step 3 many times to train the cat to sit.
Step 5
After your cat understands the “how to teach a cat to sit” cue, you may switch out the target for your finger.
Step 6
After your cat understands to sit down with your finger raised over the cat’s head, add the verbal signal “sit” right before he/she begins sitting.
Step 7
Throw the treat away and start the sitting training session again.
Step 8
Just keep doing step 6 over and again to train a cat to sit.
Step 9
Don’t force your cat to sit down for long periods of time; instead, encourage it to do so.
Step 10
Phase clicking should be done more often but only sometimes rewarded.
Tricks when Teaching Your Cat to Sit
Keep the Session Timeline and Duration Short
It’s recommended that training sessions last no more than three minutes, after which your cat should be given a rest. After a week, you may be able to train your cat to sit when you tell it to if you practice for three, three-minute sessions every day.
Practice and Patience Are Needed
To train your cat to sit, you’ll require considerable practice and patience. Always keep in mind that every cat has its own unique characteristics.
Whereas some felines may be trained quickly, others may need more time. If you become irritated, try taking a break and returning to it later.
Not everyone will benefit from this method, but it is usually achievable. If your cat seems particularly frustrated during a session, it’s best to give them space and try the next day again.
Both you and your cat should enjoy the training process, so stick to positive reinforcement and give your cat a choice to give up at any time.
Avoiding Negative Reinforcement
Do not physically push your cat into a sitting position; doing so might induce anxiety, leading to behavioral or health issues. Nothing is worse than having our beloved feline(s) link us with bad memories.
>>> Read more:
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You’ll need time and patience to teach your cat to sit, but the advantages will be well worth it. Your cat’s behavior, attention, and relationship with him or she will improve with consistent training. So, why not test it and see if it works for you? Follow our easy-to-follow approach, and your cat will sit in no time with some playful “how to teach a cat to sit” training sessions!
